NFL Reschedules Three Games Amid Renewed Covid Surge

The Los Angles Rams, Cleveland Browns, and Washington Football Team all had more than 20 players on the Covid/Reserve list as the NFL approached the games of Week 15 of the season. Last season, the NFL postponed and moved some games in response to this type of thing, but had not done so this year. Until now.

The league announced it would be moving the Las Vegas at Cleveland, Washington at Philadelphia, and Seattle at the L.A. Rams games from Sunday to Monday and Tuesday. The Browns and Raiders will play on Monday December 20th at 5 p.m. Eastern, prior to the regularly scheduled Vikings-Bears game. Washington at Philadelphia and Seattle at the Rams will both be played on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Eastern time.

At last count, the Rams had 29 on Covid reserve, the Browns 24, and Washington 23. This included holdovers from the previous week as well as newly added players. This will give the teams a little more time to get some of them back if they pass the protocols.

The NHL and NBA are also getting hit with positive test results on some players, and both have postponed some games. In the NHL, the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, and Florida Panthers will not play again until at least December 27th due to substantial outbreaks. Other games in the last couple of weeks have been postponed as well. The Philadelphia Flyers at Montreal Canadiens game on December 16th was played in front of no fans at the request of Quebec public health officials due to an outbreak there. The Canadiens game against Boston scheduled for Saturday the 18th has been postponed. Both the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and the NBA Toronto Raptors are prioritizing season ticketholders as Ontario has reduced capacity limits in arenas for at least the next few weeks.

And on and on it goes.